Stock supply and reel apparatus



March 31, 1953 DICKERMAN 2,633,304

STOCK SUPPLY AND REEL APPARATUS Filed April 1, 1947 Patented Mar. 31,1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE STOCK SUPPLY AND REEL APPARATUS HubertE. Dickerman, Springfield, Mass. Application April 1, 1947, Serial No.738,696

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for supplying stock to machinesconsuming the stock.

The principal objects of the invention are the provision of stocksupplying apparatus which is efficient in operation and so constructedand arranged as to be adapted to meet numerous and various conditionwith facility.

It is well known to mount a coil or bundle of stock on a reel with theleading end thereof extending to a machine such as a press or the likewhich takes successive portions of the stock for various operationsthereon. Such stock may be in the form of a strip, rod, wire or thelike.

Such a machine as a press includes relatively reciprocating members andduring the reciprocation thereof according to the prior art the stock ispulled from a coil on a reel by the press in an attempt to satisfy therequirements of successive portions of the stock. Invariably there is atendency for the stock to be pulled to the extent that the reeloverrides, operation is jerky and intermittent and the strip is likelyto be loosely disposed around and about all of which and otherdisadvantages are objectionable.

According to this invention, apparatus is provided which includes arotatable reel for supporting a coil which efficiently satisfies therequirements for stock by substantially continuous rotation thereby notonly to avoid overriding and the resulting slackness but to obviateintermittent rotation and the consequent strains and jerks and providethe desired smoothness of operation and stock as it is required.

As special features of the invention, means is provided to check or stopthe rotation of the reel when sufiicient stock is provided the press.The apparatus is adapted for supplying stock from either the lower orupper side of a coil and in either of opposite directions therebyadapting the apparatus for use in connection with various machines andconditions. Rotative impulses are applied to the reel by means ofresilient means thereby contributing to positiveness, smoothness andefficiency in operation regardless of the stroke timing of the press.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages andother objects of my invention as will become more apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claim hereuntoannexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein;

Figs. 1 and 2 are front and rear elevational views respectively of thestock supply apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 3 is an elevational sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan and side elevational views of the ratchet pawlconstruction of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will befully described.

A base 2 is provided which has a supporting upright 4 extendingvertically therefrom. A bracket 6 is secured to the upright 4 and it hasa transversely extending shaft or axle 8 secured thereto which projectsforwardly therefrom. A reel hub member I0 is rotatable on the axle andspokes I2 have inner ends suitably secured to the huband extend radiallytherefrom.

A rim i4 is secured to the outer ends of the spokes l2 and coilsupporting arms l6 are slidable along the spokes and are secured theretoin desired positions of adjustment by means of set screws or the like,not shown. Guides l8 are adjustable along the members It and may besecured thereto in any position by means of set screws or the like, notshown. These members l8 extend radially relative to the axle 8. The hub,spokes, and members l6 and I8 constitute an adjustable reel and arms l6which are parallel to the axle 8 are adapted to support and rotate abundle or coil of stock.

A toothed ratchet wheel 20 is integral with the hub I0 and it will beobvious that as the ratchet Wheel is urged in one direction or the otherthat the reel will be rotated thereby. The leading end of a strip ofmaterial from a coil on the arms [6 of the reel will be fed accordinglyas the reel is rotated.

A pressure member 22' is reciprocable on the axle 8 and a frictionmember 24 is disposed between said member 22 and outer face of hub Ill.A stud 26 has its inner end in threaded engagement with axle 8 and hasfixed thereto a manually engageable member 28. A spring 30 is disposedbetween members 22 and 28. located rearwardly of hub is fixed to axle 8and a friction member 2! is disposed between said member 25 .and therear face of said hub.

By adjusting the action of the spring 30 by means of the screw 26 andmember 28 the desired amount of drag or braking effect may be applied tothe reel hub. Thereby the rotation of the reel is resisted to anydesired extent.

A double ended lever 34 is oscillatable on member 6 and relative to theaxle 8 and a pawl .33 is pivoted thereon by means of .a member 36.

A collar .2 5

A rod 40 is slidable in a tubular part 42 associated with the member 35.The rod 40 has its outer end threaded for adjusting nuts 44 and said rodmay be connected to a machine such as a press. in such manner that it isreciprocated back and forth in the direction of arrows a and b. As therod moves in the direction of arrow at the nuts 44 engage member 42 toswing lever 34 counterclockwise.

A spring 45 has its opposite ends connected to a rod 46 extending fromthe bracket 6 and to 35 at the upper end of lever 34 to urge said leverclockwise of Fig. 1. Hence, the rod 40 swings lever 34 counterclockwiseagainst the action of spring 45. When rod 40 moves to the right spring45 swings lever 34 clockwise so that the pawl 33 engages the ratchetwheel 20 to rotate it and the reel clockwise in direction of arrow tosupply stock. Thus rotative impulses are imparted to the reel byresilient means instead of by rod 40. The nuts 44 may be variouslyadjusted to provide the desired movement of lever 34.

It will be assumed that the convolutions of the coil C on the reellooking at Fig. 1 and represented by a circle are such that the leadingend of the stock from the coil forms a loop which extends beneath aportion 48 of a control rod 5| and in the direction of the arrow d. Itis desired that the rod 5| rest on and be supported by the loop ofstock. Thus as the reel rotates clockwise stock is fed downwardly andaround to the left to the machine which actuates the rod 40.

A double ended control lever 52 is oscillatable on axle 8 within member6 and the rod 5| has its upper end pivotally connected thereto at itsright hand end in Fig. 1. The lower portion of the rod 5| is slidable ina bracket 56 secured to the member 4 and said lever 52 on its upper sidecarries a guard plate 58 which is adapted as the lever 52 is swungclockwise in Fig. 1 to underlie the pawl 33 and prevent engagementthereof with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. As before, it will beassumed that the reel in Fig. 1 rotates clockwise in the directionindicated by arrow 0 to deliver stock so that it moves in the directionof arrow d. It will be noted that the relatively oscillatablecomponents, as in Fig. 3, are arranged to provide a compact structureoccupying but small space. The loop in the stock is disposed under theportion 48 of the rod 5| so that the rod is supported thereby and lever52 is held in a position shown in Fig. 1 where the guard 58 is to theleft of pawl 33.

As the stock on the reel runs out so that the loop of stock beneath rod5| ceases to exert upward pressure thereto, the said rod descendswhereby lever 52 swings clockwise so that the guard 58 underlies thepawl 33. Thereafter regardless of the movement of the rod 40 to swingthe pawl carrying lever 34 and the actuating spring 45, the pawl is heldout of engagement with the ratchet and the reel is not rotated. Thus therod 5| and the lever 52 provide control means for the action of theratchet operating means.

A bar 59 extends from the end of lever 52 (see Fig. 2) on which a weight68 is adjustable. The weight is preferably adjusted so that the rod 50is substantially counterbalanced. Therefore the lever 52 readilyresponds for its control function to the absence of the stock whichnormally exerts upward pressure to the rod 5|.

Instead of the leading end of the stock from the reel extendingclockwise and downwardly beneath the control rod it may extendcounterclockwise upwardly and in the direction of arrow e to themachine. With this arrangement, as before, when the stock runs out sothat the rod is no longer supported by the loop, the lever 52 swings tobring plate 58 between the pawl and ratchet wheel.

By providing the double ended levers 34 and 52, the parts may beinterrelated to provide rotation of the reel to suit various conditionsand various positions of the apparatus relative to a machine which is tobe supplied with stock.

For instance, rod 45 may extend to the right from lever 34 and thespring 45 may exert its resilient impulse by being extended on the sideof said lever opposite to that shown. And the rod 5| and weight bar 59may be connected to ends of lever 52 from that shown to provide thecontrol function. Or if desired, the rod 40 may be connected to thelower end of lever 34 and extend in either direction therefrom with therod 5| and weight bar 58 appropriately connected to lever 52.

A specific arrangement of the components will depend on convenience andthe conditions to be met, all within the scope of the invention.

The pawl 33 is provided with a lateral slot 52 and relatively angularlydisposed fiat faces 55 which are engaged by the end of a flat spring 58which is secured to the end of lever 34. The construction is such thatin a predetermined operating position of the pawl it may yieldingly passover the teeth of the ratchet wheel when swinging in one direction whileit will engage said teeth when swinging in operative direction. In anoperating position, the pawl is limited in its movement to its ratchetengaging function while it may be shifted from one operating position toanother.

It will be observed that the reel is adjustable to accommodate coils orbundles of stock of various sizes and that the stock may extend invarious ways from the reel while the apparatus may be operated from asource located at either side thereof. The desired rotative impulse maybe obtained irrespective of the length of stroke of the operatingconnection and at all times the rotating impulse is accomplished byresilient means which insures constant rotation of the reel at anydesired magnitude and obviates jerks and starts and resulting overfeedand slackness of stock. The amount or rate of delivery of stock is notdependent on the stroke of the operating rod since the same is variablewithin adjustment of the components.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely asbeing illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by theforegoing description, and all modifications and variations as fallwithin the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appendedclaim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure. by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

Reel apparatus for supporting a coil of stock and supplying said stockin successive lengths comprising in combination, a support, an axleextending horizontally from said support, a reel means for a coil ofstock rotatable on said axle having a ratchet wheel fixed thereto, anoperating member swingable on said axle in operating and non-operatingdirections having a pawl pivoted thereon for engaging and swinging saidratchet when said member swings in operating direction, spring meansconnecting said support and operating member urging the latter inoperating direction and means to swing said member in opposition to saidspring means in non-operating direction, adjustable friction meansbetween said reel means and support frictionally controlling rotation ofthe former relative to said axle, a control lever oscillatable on saidaxle between operating and non-operating position, an elongated memberhaving an upper end pivoted to one end of said control lever anddepending vertically therefrom and having a lower end portion forresting on the leading end of stock from a coil thereof on said reelmeans whereby said member is supported by said leading end of the stockto urge the control lever to operative position, and a guard platecarried by said control lever for disposition between said pawl andratchet as said lever moves to non-operating position in the absence ofstock supporting said elongated member.

HUBERT E. DICKERMAN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

